Spec Educ in the US and Canada

[Canuck stuck]

I am a Canadian living in the UK (a stuck Canuck looking to make her escape). I am looking at graduate programs in the US and Canada but I have a daughter - nearly 10 - with severe epilepsy and learning delays.

She is in a special school now but I have no idea how it works in various places in N AMerica. From what I can make out is it is main streaming all the way which freaks me out.

If anyone can shed light on this issue generally that would be fab. I also need to know about medical stuff - will it simply not be possible to move there in terms of medicial insurance costs?

I am specifically looking at Toronto, Montreal, California, Mass., and New Jersey..so far.

HELP!! :eek:

[dawnmn]

Can't help you on the medical part but I know in my state in the US that the children are main streamed and/or also put into special education classes to help with learning. There also could be a para profession in the main stream room. There are different ways that they look at to best educate the special ed students. One thing you will have to find out is what the school does for these children. Every school is different. My daughter was in special ed classes and we would have to check continously with her teachers in order for her to get the special help that she needed.

[michael178]

either the graduate schools you're looking at, or the education departments in the states where the schools are located can answer your questions. I think each state is able to construct its own programs and rules... so there is no one size fits all.

[Porkette]

Hi,
I've worked in public school in NY state for 23 yrs. I've also had epilepsy for 37 yrs. Many students who have epilepsy or learning disabilites will go into Special Ed classes and some students will go into mainstream classes but they will have a Teacher aide or Teacher Assistant with the student(s) that need help in the classroom. In regards to the health insurance each state is different regarding how they handle matters and I'm sorry to say I couldn't tell you if you could bring your health ins. into the U.S. I wish you and your family the best of luck and May God Bless All of You!

Sue

[Crazy Cat Lady]

From what I can make out is it is main streaming all the way which freaks me out.

If anyone can shed light on this issue generally that would be fab. I also need to know about medical stuff - will it simply not be possible to move there in terms of medicial insurance costs? depends on what you mean by mainstreaming. There aren't too many "public" sped schools for MR kids but there are still the type of "regional" programs out there (a school serves as the base for whatever disabilty and students from all over come to that school) It's good that you're freaked out abt mainstreaming. I think it's pushed too much as a utopia. We really need a continum of placements not just automoaticly thinking that everyone will do well mainstreamed.
Medical insurance costs are horrible. 30% of my age group is uninsured b/c of the cost of medical insurance.

[Daisy]

I worked in MA public schools for several years and we do mainstream most public school students for as much of the school day as can be managed providing services in the classroom as much as possible. That being said there are sub separate programs inside the districts, regional programs ( where districts share resources for specific programs where they lack a number of students to justify a specific program for a sub separate program alone), and then we have students in a variety of private programs ranging from day schools, residential settings, to hospital settings depending on the degree or severity of the disability.

However, the real push in this state has been to have as many children as close to their home district, home school and in a "regular" classroom as possible.